The present invention relates to dampeners for lithographic printing presses. Dampeners are used in lithographic printing presses for applying a dampening solution to the printing plate carried by the plate cylinder of the lithographic press. After the dampening solution is applied to the plate, the inker applies the ink to the plate. As is well known, a lithographic printing plate has ink-receptive areas which reject dampening solution and dampening-solution receptive areas which are ink rejecting. The dampening solution is applied to the plate by a form roll.
As is well known in the art, as the printing is effected the dampener form roll tends to pick up ink from the plate. During clean-up of the printing press, it is desirable to remove the ink that is not only in the inker, but also the ink which may have become deposited on or picked up by the dampener form roll. Prior art patents have been directed to the problem of providing for dampener form roll clean-up simultaneously with the inker clean-up or wash-up. Typical of the known art for providing for dampener form roll wash-up in combination with the inker wash-up is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,842,735 and 3,701,316, both of which are assigned to the assignee of the present invention.